1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical tone control apparatus, and more particularly to a musical tone control apparatus which controls a musical tone in response to bending and stretching movements of player's fingers and the like.
2. Prior Art
A musical tone control apparatus capable of converting player's movement into the musical tone has been developed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 61-274345, for Musical Tone Control Apparatus Using a Detector, filed Oct. 13, 1987, assigned to the same assignee as the present Applicant see U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 108,205). FIGS. 1 and 2 are views showing detailed constitution of this musical tone control apparatus. This apparatus comprises a main unit 1, detecting portion 2 for right elbow, detecting portion 3 for left elbow and detecting portion 4 for right hand. The main unit 1 is mounted to player's waist by a belt 5. The detecting portions 2, 3 and 4 are respectively mounted to player's right elbow, left elbow and right hand. In addition to the musical tone control unit, the main unit 1 further provides a musical tone signal generating circuit and speaker.
Next, description will be given with respect to the detecting portions 2, 3 and 4. First, the detecting portion 2 includes a supporter 7a, thin type potentiometer 8a and lever 12a which is mounted to a sliding member of potentiometer 8a. When a right arm joint is moved, the lever 12a revolves the sliding member of potentiometer 8a. The detecting portion 3 is constituted as similar to the detecting portion 2. When a left arm joint is moved, a lever 12b revolves a sliding member of a potentiometer 8b. These potentiometers 8a and 8b have respective terminals which are respectively connected to the main unit 1 via wires 15a and 15b.
In the detecting portion 4, 16 designates a glove made from stretch fiber material. At partial portion of this glove which covers wrist joint of player's right hand, a potentiometer 8c is mounted. Similar to the detecting portion 2, a lever 12c is fixed at a sliding member of this potentiometer 8c, and this lever 12c is mounted to the glove 16. In addition, at an inner portion of each finger tip of this glove 16, each of pressure sensitive elements 17a to 17d is mounted. The specific resistance of this pressure sensitive element varies in response to the depressing pressure applied from each finger tip. In the case where the finger is stretched, the depressing pressure is not effected to each pressure sensitive element. On the contrary, in the case where the finger is bent, the depressing pressure corresponding to a bending angle of finger is effected to each pressure sensitive element so that its specific resistance will be varied. The terminals of potentiometer 8c and pressure sensitive elements 17a to 17d are respectively connected to the main unit 1 via a wire 15c.
Next, in FIG. 2, 20 designates an analog multiplexer of seven channels which selects and outputs one of the detection signals (i.e., voltage signals) from the potentiometers 8a to 8c and pressure sensitive elements 17a to 17d based on a channel select signal CS supplied to its select terminal. 21 designates an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter which converts the detection signal outputted via the analog multiplexer 20 into digital detection data of predetermined bits. In addition, 22 designates a central processing unit (CPU), 23 designates a read only memory (ROM) for storing programs used in the CPU 22, and 24 designates a random access memory (RAM) which is used as a work area.
The CPU 22 supplies the channel select signal CS which sequentially varies to the analog multiplexer 20 to thereby scan the outputs of potentiometers 8a to 8c and pressure sensitive elements 17a to 17d with high speed. In addition, based on first detection data which are obtained by converting the detection signals from the potentiometers 8a and 8b in the A/D converter 21, the CPU 22 judges bending angles of right and left elbows by four angle stages. Then, based on such judgement result, the CPU 22 generates key code data KC for designating the predetermined tone pitch in response to combination of the bending angles of right and left elbows. In addition, based on second detection data which are obtained by converting the detection signal from the potentiometer 8c, a bending angle of right wrist is judged by three angle stages. Then, based on such judgement result, the CPU 22 generates tone volume data VOL for designating tone volume (i.e., large, middle and small tone volume) in response to the bending angle of right wrist. Further, based on third detection data which are obtained by converting the detection signals from the pressure sensitive elements 17a to 17d, the CPU 22 judges whether each of index finger, middle finger, third finger and little finger is bent or not. Based on such judgement result, the CPU 22 generates tone color designating data TD for designating the predetermined tone color (e.g., tone color of piano, organ, flute, saxophone clarinet etc.) in response to combination of bent fingers.
These key code data KC, tone volume data VOL and tone color designating data TD (all of which are called "musical tone control data") generated in the CPU 22 are supplied to a musical tone signal generating circuit 26 via a bus line 25. The musical tone signal generating circuit 26 generates the musical tone signal having the tone pitch corresponding to the key code data KC, the tone volume corresponding to the tone volume data VOL and the tone color corresponding to the tone color designating data TD. This musical tone signal is supplied to the speaker 27 from which the corresponding musical tone is generated. In addition, a transmitter circuit 28 transmits the musical tone signal by wireless.
However, the above-mentioned musical tone control apparatus is disadvantageous in that the main unit 1 is bulky so that this main unit 1 disturbs the player's movement.
As another conventional musical tone control apparatus, the present applicant has developed a musical tone generating apparatus capable of generating the musical tone corresponding to the bending and stretching movement of finger as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-44233 (see U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 161,176, Finger Switch, filed Feb. 26, 1988, assigned to the same assignee as the present Applicant).
FIG. 3 shows an outer appearance of this musical tone generating apparatus. This apparatus includes a main unit 31, detecting portion 32 for right hand and detecting portion 33 for left hand. The main unit 31 is mounted to the player's waist by a belt 34.
FIG. 4 is a perspective side view showing a diagrammatical constitution of the detecting portion 32. In FIG. 4, Fr designates a glove, and Sr1 to Sr5 are detectors (hereinafter, referred to as finger switches) each mounted to the back of each finger of the glove Fr. Each of these finger switches Sr1 to Sr5 is constituted as shown in FIG. 5, for example. In FIG. 5, 35 designates a rectangular thin plate formed by plastics, and one edge portion thereof is fixed at a finger root portion of the glove Fr. At another edge portion of thin plate 35, a cylinder 36 whose opening directs toward the finger root portion is mounted. One edges of springs 37a and 37b are fixed at bottom portion of this cylinder 36, while other edges thereof is fixed at one edge of a movable member 38. Therefore, the movable member 38 can freely slide within the cylinder 36. A gate member 39 having U shape is mounted on the middle portion between first joint and second joint of each finger portion of the glove Fr so that the thin plate 35 can be passed through. A push button switch 40 is mounted at the gate member 39, wherein the push button switch 40 has a push button 40a whose projection sticks out in the finger tip direction.
In the above-mentioned finger switch Sr2, when the player bends his finger at its second joint as shown in FIG. 6, the thin plate 35 is moved in D direction so that the tip edge of movable member 38 pushes the push button 40a. Thus, the push button switch 40 must be turned on. Then, when the player stretches his finger, the push button switch 40 is turned off. In FIG. 3 similar to the detecting portion 32, the detecting portion 33 provides a glove Fl to which finger switches S11 to S15 (not shown) are respectively mounted.
Next, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electric constitution of the above-mentioned musical tone generating apparatus. In FIG. 7, 42 designates a key code generating circuit which converts the outputs of detecting portions 32 and 33 into the key code KC. In this case, one edges of the finger switches Sr1 to Sr5 and S11 to S15 are respectively connected to input terminals of the key code generating circuit 42 by cables. A constant voltage +V is applied to the other edges of these finger switches. The key code KC is supplied to a musical tone signal generating circuit 43 wherein the key code KC is converted into the musical tone signal. In addition, a tone color setting switch 44 changes several constants of the key code generating circuit 42 and musical tone signal generating circuit 43 to thereby change the tone color. Further, SP designates a speaker. These key code generating circuit 42, musical tone signal generating circuit 43, tone color setting switch 44 and speaker SP are all included within the main unit 31.
The outputs of finger switches are supplied to the key code generating circuit 42 wherein the key code KC corresponding to the musical scale (i.e., tones "do", "re", "mi", "fa", "so", "la" and "si") is generated. Such key code KC is supplied to the musical tone signal generating circuit 43 wherein the musical tone signal having the musical scale corresponding to the supplied key code KC is generated and then outputted to the speaker SP. Thus, the speaker SP is driven by this musical tone signal.
However, since the above-mentioned finger switch uses the flat thin plate, the bending point of thin plate must be varied in response to the mounting state of glove. For this reason, the player must confirm the bending angle of finger where the finger switch is turned on in advance. In addition, the constitution of above finger switch must be complicated, and each finger switch must be made by changing the size thereof in accordance with the size of each finger. Therefore, there is a problem in that the production cost of finger switches must become higher.
The above-mentioned musical tone control apparatus generates a key-on signal when the finger is bent. On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-23381, an acceleration sensor is provided in order to detect an acceleration in the movement of player's body, and the output signal of this acceleration sensor is compared with the predetermined threshold value to thereby generate the key-on signal. At the timing when the above key-on signal is generated, the musical tone is generated. In the case where the acceleration sensor for outputting an analog signal is used, such analog signal is stored in a register and the like and used for controlling the tone volume and the like.
However, in the conventional musical tone control apparatus, the position where the finger switch is turned on must be determined because of its construction, and the threshold value must be fixed. Hence, it is impossible to adjust the timing for generating the musical tone in response to the way of each player of moving his finger and the like. In addition, chattering of switches and deviation of player's movement affects the key-on signal such that the key-on signal must become unstable. Further, the conventional musical tone control apparatus uses the signal level of movement detecting signal as it is, and such signal level is not adjusted in response to the performing state.